Middlesbrough Q&A: Will Paddy McNair's red card against Huddersfield be overturned and what next for Britt Assombalonga?

We take a closer look at some of the big questions and talking points as Neil Warnock’s side prepare for Saturday’s trip to Reading:

Will Paddy McNair’s red card against Huddersfield be overturned?

Boro certainly feel they have a strong case for the decision to be overturned, and an EFL panel will now look at the case on Thursday.

The panel will look at video evidence from several different camera angles to see if the tackle could be classed as ‘serious foul play’ for a tackle on Huddersfield’s Juninho Bacuna.

Like the majority, I think the sending off was extremely harsh given McNair clearly tried to win the ball and appeared to do so.

The thing that could count against McNair, though, is that his studs were up and facing Bacuna who went to ground.

That could be deemed as reckless and provide a reason to uphold the suspension.

Even so, I don’t think the tackle should be considered a red card offence and believe Boro have a good chance of it being overturned.

It may also help that the decision was made by the linesman and not referee Jeremy Simpson.

Should Boro stick with a back three?

It looked like Boro had moved away from that formation after bringing in wingers such as Yannick Bolasie and Nathanianl Mendea-Laing in January.

That is clearly Warnock’s preferred way of playing, yet the side have often performed well when they’ve played with a back three and wing-backs this term.

The system appears to bring the best out of Paddy McNair and Anfernee Dijksteel as it gives them license to step out with the ball from the back.

Grant Hall was excellent in the heart of defence against Huddersfield, while Dael Fry could return for the trip to Reading this weekend, after Warnock described him as the best defender in the league.

There are flaws to the set-up, and in the second half against Huddersfield I thought Boro dropped too deep to invite pressure, even before McNair’s red card.

Yet it did allow Boro to play with two strikers in Duncan Watmore and Ashley Fletcher, who could form a decent partnership, with Neeskens Kebano in the No 10 position.

For the next few games, I think it would be best to stick with the back three and try to build on the Huddersfield result.

Can Britt Assombalonga get back in the side?

There’s no getting away from the fact it’s been a difficult season for the Boro captain.

Assombalonga has impressed in some games, like the 4-1 win at Birmingham and victory at Nottingham Forest, yet we haven’t seen enough of those performances.

It was telling after the defeats against Brentford and Derby that Warnock felt his side would have won with the opposition’s striker in their team.

The Boro boss has clearly lost some faith in Assombalonga who now has to win his place back after dropping behind Watmore and Fletcher in the pecking order.

There will be another opportunity for Assombalonga this season but, with the striker out of contract at the end of the campaign and playing for his future, his chances are running out.

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